![]() There, Thomas dropped in consecutive jumpers to salvage his night, but soon headed to the bench for Dorian Finney-Smith. It all added up to an 82-81 Hawks lead entering the fourth quarter, which would prove to be just as back-and-forth as the first three. “One person you gotta give a huge amount of credit to, throughout the whole game, was Dennis.He changed the game, energy, he got same dawg in him, and he brings that to the table every day,” said Johnson. provided just enough offense from the guard position with 13 points and four assists, and the team’s defense kept them afloat. Spencer Dinwiddie and Thomas struggled mightily, ultimately combining for just 19 points on a putrid 8-of-29 shooting. Johnson came out of the gates firing, leading his team with 15 first-half points on 6-12 shooting, including some tough buckets:ĭASMITHWAY /b8WA2usiOC- Brooklyn Nets December 7, 2023 Thus, Brooklyn relied on The Twins, who did not waste their opportunity for revenge against Atlanta. Can you imagine this, that a team is double teaming you and you have to adjust to it?’.And he realizes that.” Head Coach Jacque Vaughn kept it in perspective “I said to him on the bench, ‘This is great, this is growing for you also. The Hawks showed respect by trapping him on ball-screens, but their defensive activity overwhelmed Thomas, rather than leading to 4-on-3 opportunities for Brooklyn. The young scorer did not respond with a barrage of buckets, but rather his worst stretch of the season in the first half, going scoreless on 0-5 shooting with three turnovers. Despite a healthy Johnson, with Finney-Smith back after a one-game absence, Brooklyn eschewed their typical starting five: Finney-Smith was relegated to the bench for Thomas. And that stat sounded a whole lot more fun when it ended in a Nets win.Ĭam Thomas received his ninth start of the season, but by far his most noteworthy one. The game featured 43 lead changes, the most in any NBA game since play-by-play tracking began in 1996. It even exceeded the wild standards that these two teams have set, possibly the closest game in NBA history. Bridges and Johnson didn’t just enter with personal vendettas, but on a quest for a solid win, even a statement win against an Eastern Conference neighbor. ![]() To do so would also mean creating more separation from the Hawks in the standings the Nets entered at 10-9, the Hawks at 9-10. Bridges and Cam Johnson, whether as Phoenix Suns or in their new home, have never won in Atlanta.ĭorian Finney-Smith wasn’t bothered by that bit of history, saying, “We gotta get a win for them, man.I don’t know why ain’t never won here, but tonight we’re going to change that, so that’s all that matters.” Forget the last time Brooklyn visited Atlanta, where a 45-point effort from Mikal Bridges went to waste in a brutal 147-145 overtime loss, the time before was equally as painful: Trae Young hit a game-winning buzzer-beater, sending Brooklyn home with a 129-127 loss in February of last season.Īll in all, State Farm Arena has been a house of horrors for the Nets, and even more so for the Twins. Two Johnson free throws stretched the advantage to six, before Barnes’ tip-in allowed the Raptors to close to 102-98.The Brooklyn Nets added two games to their schedule after barely missing out on the knockout round of the In-Season Tournament, and the first was against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. That was quickly cut to 97-96 on another Trent jumper.Īfter a timeout, Bridges knocked down a 3 from the left corner to extend Brooklyn’s lead. On the next possession, Bridges converted a floater and knocked down a free throw to give Brooklyn a three-point lead. Trent tied the game at 94-all with a jumper in the lane with 4:30 remaining. But (in) the second half he gave us much more force.” “I thought OG started the game slow as well. He played a completely different game in the second half. “I thought in the first half Scottie was settling quite a bit,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said, when asked about Barnes and Anunoby. Dennis Schroder added 14, Chris Boucher contributed 13 and OG Anunoby had 10. Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes had 17 each and Gary Trent Jr. Despite having six players finish in double-figure scoring, Toronto dropped to 8-10.
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